Stand wobble on laminate flooring...what's normal

[puffers252]

Hello!
I just got a tank and stand from water box, the stand is their new aluminum framed design and seems very well built. However I can't get my paranoia to calm down about the movement from side to side. Front to back it's solid but some light pressure in the side to side direction on the tank will move the whole tank and stand together. Nothing huge but it does move enough to get the water to slosh a bit.

Normal or not?

It is on one of those floating laminate floors so I know there is some movement perhaps there as well. Just looking for others experience.

Thanks

 

[bradreef]

As long as the top of a stand is flat. Its normal to have to shim the bottom.

 

[puffers252]

Thanks. Didn't have to shim it has adjustable legs in the stand and all is flat, just...wobbles a bit side to side and freaks me out a bit.

 

[Pickle_soup]

You can use neoprene mats to level it out.

 

[Floowid]

I don't think OP is talking about level, but about wobble/sway/wiggle. I had a 37 gallon on one of those impossibly skinny wrought iron stands you don't really see any more. That thing wobbled every time I touched it, but it never failed. Metal, especially soft metal like aluminum tends to wiggle a little bit. Bend but don't break as the saying goes. Up to you in the long run whether you decide to use it or not, but if it is the suggested stand for the tank built by the tank manufacturer, I think you should be good. If it helps you sleep at night you could anchor it to the wall.

 

[thedon986]

I built an aluminum stand about 2-3x as beefy as water box for my 100g and I can still get it to wobble just the slightest. I have all kind of bracing, all corners and horizontal. I wouldn’t worry. 45mm profile at the thinnest. Top framing is 45x90mm

 

[mfinn]

If the stand is moving side to side with minimal pushing effort, I would not let it stay that way. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
First I would go over all the connection points ( screws, bolts, brackets) on the entire stand and make sure they are completely tight. With the weight ( if connections aren't tight) on it I doubt you will be able to bring it tighten them up and bring it back to sturdy.
If everything looks perfect, then I would figure out a way to add as big a piece a plywood across the back as possible.
Maybe multiple spans of aluminum angle bar.
A tank on a stand is usually very top and any movement side to side is just not right.

 

[RedoubtReef]

yeah, I'm with @mfinn on this one. Eliminate any instability. When its level and not moving, then add water.

 

[exnisstech]

Definately make sure all the fasteners are tight. Is the tank full yet? Weight can help stabilize it somewhat. How much wobble we're talking about? All of my tanks are on floating floors and will move when I'm cleaning glass. Even my 180 will move when the dogs run past.

 

[workhz]

Does it wobble because it loses contact with the laminate floor or does it wobble while maintains full contact?

 

[CBonito]

Does it wobble because it loses contact with the laminate floor or does it wobble while maintains full contact?

Right...that was my thought. Like the floor was giving some.